Themes
The Crucible
Adapted from http://www.thedramadepartment.com/Higher/Crucible/themes.ppt.
Themes
The central idea or underlying meaning of
a literary work
 Typically deals with an abstract concept
that is made concrete through
representation in character, action, and
image.
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Themes in the Crucible
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Justice vs. Retribution
and Revenge
Intolerance
Hysteria
Reputation
Betrayal
Persecution
Order vs. Individual
Freedom
Good vs Evil
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Human cruelty in the
name of righteousness
The Individual and the
Community/society
Godliness vs.
Worldliness
Ignorance vs. Wisdom
Power and Authority
More themes …
Lust and Envy
 Courage
 Conflict
 Faith
 Morality
 Corruption and Lies
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Conscience/Integrity
 Forgiveness
 Evil
 Loyalty and Love
 Trust
 Courage
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Human Weaknesses
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Lust - John Proctor
Pride - Reverend Hale, John Proctor
Greed - Reverend Parris, Thomas Putnam
Revenge - Mrs. Putnam, Abigail
Ignorance - Giles Corey
Self-indulgence - the girls
Dishonesty - Abigail, the girls, John Proctor
Human Strengths
Honesty – Elizabeth Proctor
 Loyalty – Elizabeth Proctor
 Courage – John Proctor
 Forgiveness – Elizabeth Proctor
 Faith – Rebecca Nurse
 Reason – Rebecca Nurse
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Revenge
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Abigail gets revenge on John and Elizabeth
Proctor
The girls and the accusers were naming people
whom they did not like and whom they wanted to
harm
Thomas Putnam gains revenge on Francis
Nurse by getting Rebecca, his wife, convicted of
murdering his (and Ann Putnam’s) babies
Intolerance
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a theocratic society
Church (moral) and state are the same
 Sin and status of an individual’s soul are
of public concern
 Everyone belongs to either God or the
devil
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“a person is either with this court or he must
be counted against it.” (Danforth, Act III)
Hysteria
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the role that hysteria can play in tearing apart a
community.
replaces logic and reason
enables people to believe their neighbours are
guilty of committing absurd and unbelievable
crimes
people become active in the hysterical climate
for 2 reasons:
 out of genuine religious faithfulness
 chance to act on long-held grudges
How do these characters thrive on hysteria?
Abigail: uses situation to accuse Elizabeth
Proctor of witchcraft and has her jailed
 Reverend Parris: strengthens his position
within the village (temporarily) by making
scapegoats of those who question
authority e.g. John Proctor
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Reputation
Extremely important in theocratic Salem
 Guilt by association: their sins will taint
your name
 Parris fears Abigail’s questionable
behaviour and hints of witchcraft
surrounding Betty will threaten and force
him from the pulpit.
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John Proctor - early in the play – has a
chance to stop the girl’s accusations but
his desire to preserve his reputation keeps
him from testifying against Abigail
 at the play’s end – desire to keep his good
name prevents him from a false confession
 “I have given you my soul; leave me my
name!” (Proctor to Danforth in Act IV)
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Betrayal
The betrayal between a husband and a
wife within the sanctity of a conventional
marriage.
 Abigail betrays her whole community in
order to seduce John.
 Those who falsely confess to witchcraft
betray their relationship with God and their
church.
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Persecution
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Miller, who was Jewish, would surely have had
an inescapable imprint of atrocities of the
holocaust embedded firmly in his psyche.
Individual’s responsibility to accept liability for
the wrongs of the past. Miller’s plays explore the
American way of life but the themes, issues and
concerns presented in The Crucible are a
universal phenomenon
Power and Authority
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Bible is the ultimate authority
Authority of the Court is absolute
Conflict of authority - Danforth felt the law should
be followed exactly, and that anyone who
opposed the trials was trying to undermine him
and his authority and the church.
The girls and some women are empowered by
the trials
Individual Vs Society
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The accusers were looking out for their own lives
and took whatever actions necessary to save
themselves
Conformity – Human freedom vs social order
There is either obedience or the church will burn
like Hell is burning! Parris to Proctor
I speak my own sins; I cannot judge
another. I have no tongue for it
Truth and Lies
Puritan Ethics meant most people
abhorred lying
 Abigail lies all the way through the play
 Elizabeth cannot tell a lie … but does to try
to save John
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Conflict
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Personal – John wrestling with his own guilt at
the beginning and Hale wrestling with his guilt at
the end.
Inter-personal (Proctor vs Parris – John is
honest (`I see no light of God in that man. I'll not
conceal it') and (`I like it not that Mr. Parris
should lay his hand upon my baby'
Impersonal – “Landgrabbing” was practised by
many
Motifs
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Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts,
or literary devices that can help to develop
and inform the text’s major themes.
Darkness and Dirt Images
Imagery of darkness and dirt represent
sin and evil. Reverend Parris questions
Abigail's purity by saying; Your name in
the town-it is entirely white, is it not? She
argues that her name is not soiled.
 The people of Salem are obsessed with
preserving the perceived cleanliness of
their souls.
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Accusations, Confessions, and
Legal Proceedings
Parris accuses Abigail of dishonoring him
 Parris accuses some of his parishioners
 Giles Corey and Proctor accuse him of
things in return
 Legal proceedings in the past are alluded
to
 Putnam accuses others
 Accusations are the only way that witches
can be identified
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Confessions
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Confessions provide the proof of the justice
Proctor confesses to adultery but this confession
is trumped by the accusation of witchcraft
against him, which in turn demands a confession
Proctor’s courageous decision to die rather than
confess to a sin that he did not commit, finally
breaks the cycle
The court collapses shortly afterward, undone by
the refusal of its victims to propagate lies
Symbols
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objects, characters, figures, or colours used to
represent abstract ideas or concepts
As a whole the play symbolises the paranoia of
the 1950’s communist “red scare” in America.
Shows:
 narrow-mindedness
 excessive enthusiasm for a cause
 disregard for the individual
 need for naming names (co-conspirators)
The Title: The Crucible
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a trial that ultimately reveals a person's true
character‘
a melting pot
 “We
burn a hot fire here. It melts down all
concealment” Danforth
 Crucible - it is meant to purify, usually by fire. A great
irony since the 'fire' that burns in Salem does not
purify. Instead it muddles (confuses) and corrupts.
Thus a fire burning for the wrong reason is not able to
purify.
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A place, time, or situation characterised by the
confluence of powerful intellectual, social,
economic, or political forces
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Fortress - the church is seen in this manner. But
while the metaphor used suggests one crack
may break it, we also see that rigidity or the lack
of an open mind can bring down an edifice just
as quickly.
Dawn 'the new sun' - the end of the play
suggests the start of a new day where right is
restored and the evil has been expelled.